When can I bathe my puppy for the first time and how?

When can puppies have their first bath? Can you bathe a puppy at 8 weeks old? When can we start bathing our dog is a very common question, especially among "first timers". One of the veterinarians of Barkibu, the doctor Edgar Jesús Riva, gives us the key tips.

That is a question that I am commonly asked in consultations. They also tell me: "Someone told me I could not bathe the puppy until I give him the vaccines because he can get sick."

Can I bathe my 9 week old puppy?

Possibly in some remote time, a person bathed his puppy and it died a few days later, giving birth to this myth and it got ingrained among breeders, traders of dogs, and even among some of my veterinary colleagues.

When I find these comments in the query, I asked them: "What do they get sick of?" And it is always the same answer: "I do not know, that's what they told me."

On many occasions, I have proposed the following hypothesis to the owner, and I want to share it with you, dear reader. Suppose you pay attention to the recommendations to not bathe your puppy and you have one at home. But you are going to visit a friend who has a dog. You play with his dog, caress him, he licks your hands; in short, you have fun together. You do not know it, but possibly that pet is a healthy carrier of a contagious infectious disease. Then you return to your house.

When can puppies have their first bath and why?

I ask: do you get your hands washed and change your clothes before grabbing your puppy? If the answer is no, do not worry, most of those I have asked gave me the same answer. In my opinion, the possibility that your pet gets sick is greater in that way.

I think, and I have recommended it, that bathing puppies is very important, because it is a way to introduce them to this activity. We promote good health in them, and ultimately, we contribute to demolishing so many myths that we have around us. So far, there are no scientific reports that say a bath is harmful to a pet. I think the myth originated when someone improperly bathed a puppy and, for some reason of health, he died, perhaps generating the saying that you cannot bathe a puppy without vaccines because he gets sick.

The bath should be understood as an activity in which the health of the pet is sought, and, why not, to improve his self-esteem, if this term fits for pets.

Can you bathe a 6 week old puppy?

If you are a father or mother, you can understand that we can bathe our children with a few days old and without vaccines; so why we cannot do it with our puppies? The bath is very important from every point of view. And we always have to create the best conditions to bathe our pets.

Try as much as possible that this activity is a game between you and your puppy. Try to do the baths at noon, since the sun has warmed the environment enough. Use warm water to bathe your puppy; never cold water or water from the tap. Avoid air drafts and dry your pet as soon as possible using a hairdryer. Although this device generates noise that could make the puppy afraid, try to talk to him and create a harmonious environment to reassure him.

Remember: Vaccinate your pet on time. Take the time and investment to visit your trusted veterinarian to get the vaccines he needs when he needs them. Sometimes we find clients who evade that responsibility and, in the end, the puppy falls sick, resulting in a greater expense than the one generated by vaccines and sometimes the puppy's death.

Dare to bust the myths. Bathe your puppy. You can make your pet appreciate this activity, and, in turn, it can make a difference.

This article is written by the veterinarian Edgar Jesús Rivas. His clinic, Pet City Animal Care is in Caracas, Venezuela.